Two new essays by Sanjana Paul examining the rapid growth of data center infrastructure and its implications for communities are now available on our Publications page. In Parallels and Divergences in Renewable Energy and Data Center Siting: Toward a Framework of Technology Legitimacy, Siting Justice, and Proportionality, Paul compares the challenges surrounding renewable energy and hyperscale data center siting. While these can both place significant burdens on host communit

Earlier this year, the MIT Renewable Energy Clinic partnered with the City of Salem to engage residents, businesses, community organizations, technical experts, and public officials in conversations about the proposed Salem Geothermal Energy Network (GEN). Building on the initial feasibility study, the Clinic worked to better understand community priorities and identify opportunities to strengthen the project. We're pleased to share that the project's Stakeholder Engagement R

A new peer-reviewed publication by Dr. Jungwoo Chun, Sanjana Paul, Kahlen Wheaton, Lucy Atkinson, Elise Echarte, and Professor Lawrence Susskind is now available online. Their article, "From Promise to Practice: What Makes Community Benefits Agreements Enforceable?", explores what determines whether Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) successfully deliver on the commitments they make to host communities. CBAs are increasingly used to ensure that communities hosting renewable

This spring semester, students from the MIT Renewable Energy Clinic continued supporting the City of Salem's efforts to engage residents and stakeholders in discussions surrounding a proposed Geothermal Energy Network (GEN) project. The project aims to explore innovative approaches to decarbonizing building heating and cooling while ensuring that community priorities remain central to planning and decision-making. Clinic students conducted a comprehensive stakeholder assessme

Recently, the MIT Renewable Energy Clinic recently participated in EPRI’s Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI) Tech Week in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The event brought together utilities, energy companies, researchers, and community engagement practitioners to discuss challenges and opportunities surrounding the clean energy transition. As part of the session, “Developing the Next Generation Workforce and Engaging Key Stakeholders,” Dr. Jungwoo Chun discussed the Renewable

The MIT Renewable Energy Clinic was recently featured in The Beacon for its work supporting Massachusetts communities as they prepare for new clean energy siting and permitting laws. The article highlights the Clinic’s partnership with the town of Plainfield, where MIT graduate students are helping local officials update zoning bylaws related to solar and battery energy storage projects while preserving the town’s rural and agricultural character. Because Plainfield does not

At the MIT Renewable Energy Clinic (REC), our mission is to prepare students to tackle real-world energy and policy challenges through hands-on, project-based work. As these projects grow in complexity, so does the need for stronger systems to support collaboration, organization, and feedback. Through the Canvas Innovation Fund (CIF), our clinic co-director, Dr. Jungwoo Chun, has worked to enhance the learning experience across multiple MIT clinics, including REC, by thoughtf

The Clinic has officially published its new report, Utility Thermal Energy Networks in the U.S. , prepared by Farrah Ye and Dr. Jungwoo Chun for the DUSP Center for Renewable Energy and Climate Justice. This report examines the growing role of utility-led thermal energy networks (UTENs) as a strategy for decarbonizing building heating and cooling. It provides a comprehensive overview of enabling legislation across states, analyzes trends in pilot programs, and explores how po

A new episode of Beyond Trauma is now live, featuring Lawrence Susskind, Ford Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the episode, Susskind discusses how consensus is built in complex, high-stakes settings, from urban planning to environmental disputes. The conversation explores the idea of being a “pracademic,” blending academic theory with real-world practice, and highlights key tools for effective negotiation, including st

New data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) show a notable milestone in the U.S. energy transition: in 2025, two states generated more electricity from wind, water, and solar than their total electricity demand. According to analysis by Mark Z. Jacobson of Stanford University, South Dakota and Montana each supplied over 100% of their combined grid and behind-the-meter electricity demand from Wind-Water-Solar (WWS) sources, while 14 states generated between

Inside Climate News recently reported on one of the largest geothermal heating and cooling networks in the world, located beneath the fantasy themed corporate campus of Epic Systems in Verona, Wisconsin. The medical records software company has installed more than 6,100 geothermal boreholes across its 410 acre site, creating a massive thermal network that significantly reduces energy use for heating and cooling. The system circulates nearly 6 million gallons of water through

On October 10, 2025, PBS News reported on a first of its kind networked geothermal project in Framingham, Massachusetts, created through an unexpected partnership between utility executives and local climate activists. The project connects three dozen homes and municipal buildings to a shared geothermal well, offering residents a cleaner and more efficient way to heat and cool their homes. Eversource, the region’s largest utility, built the one mile system of underground pipe

On September 26, 2025, Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission approved a 118 megawatt wind farm in Grant and Iowa counties. This is the first wind project approved in the state since 2011, and advocates such as Rick Coelho and Clean Wisconsin say the decision reflects meaningful progress on climate goals, renewable energy deployment, and local economic growth. Regulators also authorized the 180 megawatt Whitewater Solar Farm near the Jefferson and Walworth county boundary. Tog

The Clinic has officially published its new report, A Preliminary Analysis of State Renewable Energy Siting Policies , prepared by Iselle Barrios, Nicole Doering, and Dr. Jungwoo Chun for the DUSP Center for Renewable Energy and Climate Justice. This report offers the most detailed comparative analysis to date of siting and permitting laws across 12 U.S. states. It explores how state governments are adapting to the demands of large-scale renewable deployment and highlights cr

The Clinic is proud to announce the publication of a another new report, Understanding Community-Owned Solar: Mechanisms, Opportunities, and Risks . Prepared by Dr. Jungwoo Chun, Emilia Charno, Woods Windham, Emma Hickman, and Emily Canales for the DUSP Center for Renewable Energy and Climate Justice, this report offers one of the most detailed examinations to date of how communities can take true ownership over solar energy production. While community solar has grown rapidly

On July 17, 2025, the Washington Post reported that the U.S. Interior Department will now require additional layers of review for wind and solar energy projects. This follows President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending what he described as “preferential treatment” for renewable energy. The new policy could significantly slow approvals for projects on federal lands and waters, as developers rush to begin construction before next July’s deadline to qualify for tax

A newly released report from The 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara , in partnership with Project InnerSpace , presents compelling evidence that next-generation geothermal technologies could play a transformative role in industrial decarbonization. Unlike conventional geothermal systems, which are limited to geologically active regions, next-generation systems including Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS) can access deep underground heat v

Contrary to the long-standing belief that people support renewable energy in theory but oppose it when built near them, a mindset often called NIMBYism ("Not In My Backyard"), new research shows a strikingly different reality when it comes to large-scale solar projects in the United States. A recent survey published in Frontiers in Sustainable Energy Policy found that 82% of people living within an hour’s walk of existing solar farms either support or are neutral toward addit

After a month-long pause that alarmed environmentalists and clean energy advocates, the Trump administration has lifted a stop-work order on the $5 billion Empire Wind project, a massive offshore wind farm off the coast of New York. The decision follows the intense negotiations between New York Governor Kathy Hochul and President Trump, including three extended phone calls in recent weeks. The Empire Wind project, spearheaded by Norwegian energy firm Equinor, is slated to beg

The Trump administration has formally resumed permitting for solar energy projects on federal lands. As reported by Jael Holzman in "Trump Permitted a Solar Farm – Are More on the Way?" (E&E News, May 1, 2025), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the Elisabeth solar project in Yuma County, Arizona, marking the first utility-scale solar facility on federal land greenlit by this administration. Located in a long-designated Solar Energy Zone, the project signals renewed